Revolving tray



J.B.CLARK REVOLVING TRAY Oct. 30, 1934.

Filed Jan. 14, 1953 ZQM 16. M,

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Patented Oct. 30, 1934 PATENT i= REVOLVING TRAY Jeddiah B. Clark, Dunkirk, Ind., assignor to Indiana Glass Company, Dunkirk, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application January 14, 1933, Serial No. 651,751

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a revolving tray which is primarily intended for use in a refrigerator for holding a set of jars or similar containers.

The general object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated, which may be manufactured economically and which is constructed in such a manner that ready access may be had to any one of the containers without disturbing the others. The base and the turntable arepreferably pressed from sheet metal and the turntable is formed into a pluy of sectors which are defined by suitable raised portions for retaining the containers, which fit therein.

The above and other characteristic features of the invention will be more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tray embodying the invention, with. a portion of the turntable broken away and with a jar shown in section Within. one of the sectors, the section line being indicated at l1 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Ihe device, to which the invention relates, comprises a base 5 to which a turntable 6 is centrally connected by a pivot bolt 7 or the like, so that the turntable is freely rotatable. The base 5 is preferably pressed from sheet metal so that it rests upon a peripheral rim 8, the central portion of the base being raised sufficiently to provide space for the nut of the A plate 9, which may also be made of sheet metal, is mounted between the turntable 6 and the base 5 and is formed with seats to receive the balls 10, on which the turntable rests. The central raised portion of the base has a flat surface, so that the balls run freely thereon.

The turntable itself may also be made of sheet metal and divided into sectors by upwardly pressed radial ridges 11 and 12. Each sector has a tapered radially projecting extension 13, which terminates in an upwardly turned lip 14. Thus, the turntable is approximately starshaped, with each point of the star projecting centrally from the corresponding sector. The ridges 11 and 12 and the lip 14 define an area for receiving a jar 15 or similar container formed to fit therein.

A tray constructed according to the invention may be economically manufactured and the table is freely rotatable, so that it may be placed in a refrigerator compartmentor in any similarly restricted location, and access may be had to any one of the containers. By providing the tapered extension 13, so that the outer edges of the jar extend laterally beyond the edges of the extension, it is very easy to grasp the bottom of the jar on each side, to lift the same from the tray. The outer face of the jar is also preferably provided with a handle 16 to facilitate the handling thereof.

While I have described the tray particularly with reference to its use in holding a refrigerator set, it will be readily understood that a similar construction may be used for holding various other containers or articles in a similar manner, so that any one of them may be con-v veniently reached or exhibited. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention ineludes all such modifications as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. In a device of the character described, a base made from a piece of sheet metal dished upwardly to form a raised flat surface centrally thereof, a sheet metal turntable supported on said fiat surface for rotation about a vertical axis, said turntable being provided with upwardly extending radial ridges dividing it into sectors, each sector being formed with a tapered radial extension terminating in an upstanding lip which cooperates with the radial ridges at the side of the sector to retain an article thereon.

2. In a device for holding a set of like articles having substantially sector shaped bottoms; a base, a pivot extending upwardly therefrom, a substantially star shaped turntable adapted to hold said articles and mounted for rotation about said pivot, and means dividing the turntable radially into sectors of the same angular Width as the articles to be held, the points of the star radiating centrally from each sector.

3. In a device for holding a set of like articles having substantially sector shaped bottoms; a base, a pivot extending upwardly therefrom, a turntable mounted for rotation about said pivot, means dividing the turntable radially into sectors of the same angular width as the articles to be held, each turntable sector being formed with a tapered radial extension, the radial dimension of the turntable sector with its extension being substantially equal to the radial dimension of the article to be held, and anti-friction bearings arranged about said pivot and supporting the turntable from said base.

JEDDIAH B. CLARK. 

